Fruit-picker.



S. L. WISEMAN.

FRUIT PIGKBR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1910` 992,322. Patented May16, 1911.

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Y'TVTT" Inventor SMITH I1. WISEMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 25, 1910.

Patented May 16, 1911.

Serial No. 573,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SMITH L. WISEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful F ruit-Picker, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improvedconstruction of fruitpicker and the invention relates more particularlyto that class of these devices embodying a receptacle for the fruit andmeans for severing the stem of the fruit from the limbs of the trees andone of the aims of the present invention is to so construct and arrangethe stem severing means and the receptacle for the picked fruit as toinsure of dropping of the fruit into `the receptacle immediately afterthe stems are severed.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a fruit stem severing meansand a fruit receiving means all supported upon a plate attachable to anordinary pole of any length, the means being operable through the mediumof a cable also of any desired length.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thegeneral construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in section of the fruitpicker embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan viewthereof, a portion of the receptacle being omitted; and, Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, in detail.

In the drawings, the device is illustrated as having its fruit stemsevering and its fruit gathering parts mounted at the upper end of apole and said pole is indicated by the numeral 5 and may be of anydesired length. A plate 6 has a narrowed or shank portion 7 which issecured to the upper end of the pole with the plate extending at anobtuse angle to the pole and forwardly in advance thereof as illustratedin Fig. 1 of the drawings. For a purpose to be presently explained theplate 6 is formed with an opening 8 near its forward end and thisopening is of suf'cient diameter to p-ermit of the ready passage offruit therethrough. Also, for a purpose to be presently explained, theplate has the rear portion of the edge of its opening 8 sharpened to acutting edge as at 9.

Each side edge of the plate 6 is struck up as at 10 and overturned so asto afford a guide flange and tted between these flanges and slidableupon the upper face of the plate is a plate 11 formed with an opening 12corresponding in diameter to the opening 8 in the plate 6 and having theforward por tion of its edge sharpened to a cutting edge as at 13. Theplate 6 is formed at its rear and in its shank portion 7 with a slo-twhich is indicated in the drawings by the numeral 14 and there issecured through the plate l1 near the rear end thereof a stud 15projecting above and below th-e said plate. The lower portion of thestud projects through the slot 14 as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings and is formed with an opening through which slides a stem 16projecting rearwardly from a stud 17 secured upon the under side of theplate 6. A spring 18 is secured at one end to the stud 17 and atitsother end to the downwardly projecting portion of the stud l5 and thetendency of this spring is to draw the stud 15 toward the stud 17 andthereby hold the plate 11 at the forward limit of its movement upon theplate 6, this limit being determined by an Y upturned flange 19 at theforward end edge of the said plate 6 against which ange the forward endedge of the plate 11 abuts normally.

It will be readily understood that the cutting edges of the plates 6 and11 are oppositely presented and located so that if the plate 11 shouldbe made to slide rearwardly upon the plate 6, the device having beenpositioned with the stem of the fruit to be cut projecting through theopenings 8 and 12, the said stem would be severed. In order that suchmovement of the plate 11 may be readily had, the stud 15 has its upperend provided with an eye 2O through which is secured one end of anoperating cord or cable 21 trained over a pulley 22 secured upon theshank portion 7 of the plate 6 at its point of connection with the upperend of the pole 5. At its lower end, the cable 21 connects with theupper end of a bowed hand grip 23 pivoted as at 24 at the lower end ofthe said pole 5. It will be readily understood that movement of theplate 11 rearwardly upon the plate 6 is against the tension of thespring 18 so that when the hand grip 23 has been swung downwardly to somove the plate 11 and is then released the plate will be returned by theforce of the spring.

A plurality of ears indicated by the numeral 25 are struck down from theplate 6 surrounding the opening 8 therein and suspended by rings 26 fromthese ears is a band 27 supporting a chain or other suitable mesh fruitreceiving pocket 28.

From the foregoing description of the invention itwill now be readilyunderstood that the device is to be positioned with the fruit to bepicked disposed beneath the plate 6 with the stem of the fruitprojecting through the openings 8 and l2 whereupon the hand grip 23 isswung down so as to exert a pull upon the cable 21 and cause the cuttingedges of the plates 6 and 1l to cooperate and sever the said stem of thefruit.

That is claimed is l. In a device of the class described, a hand pole, aplate secured at the upper end of the pole and extending therefrom at anangle approximating a right angle, the said plate being formed with anopening for the passage of fruit, a pocket secured to said plate andpositioned beneath the opening, a plate mounted to slide upon the firstmentioned plate and formed with an opening, the rst mentioned platebeing formed with a slot, the last mentioned plate carrying a studprojecting through the slot, a spring connected to the first mentionedplate and to the said stud and holding the plates with their openings inregistration, the first mentioned plate at one end being struck up toafford a stop to limit the sliding movement of the second mentionedplate thereon in one direction, the said openings having coperatingcutting edge portions, a stem projecting from the stud upon the firstmentioned plate and through the stud upon the second mentioned plate.

2. In a device of the class described, a hand pole, a stationary platesecured to the pole at the upper end thereof and projecting at an angletherefrom, the said plate having its lateral edge portions bent up toafford guides, a plate slidably disposed upon the stationary plate withits lateral edges fitting in the guides, the two plates being formedwith registering fruit receiving openings7 the openings havingcooperating cutting edge portions, the stationary plate at its outer endbeing bent to afford a stop to limit the sliding movement of theslidable plate thereon in an outward direction, the stationary platebeing formed with a slot, a stud carried by the slidable plate andprojecting through the slot, a stud upon the under side of thestationary plate, a stem carried by the last mentioned stud and eX-tending loosely through the first mentioned stud, a spring upon the stemsecured at its ends to the two studs, a fruit receiving pocket securedto the stationary plate and positioned beneath the opening, and a pullcord connected to the slidablc plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto atlixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SMITH L. "WISEMAN lVitnesses lV. T. JONES, W. S. GILMoRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

